Time for the confrontation!

Enjoy!

They stand there for a moment, none of them knowing what to do or say next. Martha stands still in the hall, not knowing what to bring up first. Rick tries to gather words to give to the woman he swore he'd never talk to again. Kate debated within herself, wondering if she was intruding on a private family moment. After a moment more, she realizes that she is family. If anything, this woman was the intruder in their home. She mustered up courage and grabbed the situation by the reigns.

"Martha, I'm Kate. We spoke on the phone?" She puts on her best 'doting-wife-and-mother' face. Even in her resentment, she can't help but want his mother's opinion.

Martha steps in slowly as Kate joins Rick's side, encouraging him & giving him strength. She's going to stay by his side no matter what. "Hello... Katherine, I assume?" She sees the woman begin to protest and goes to explain, but Rick seems to find his voice.

"She refuses to call anyone by anything other than their full name. It's a theater thing."

Kate nods and begins to speak, but a shrill squeak from the baby monitor lets her know that her little ball of fire is restless. She uses the excuse to leave them to talk. Throwing an 'I'll be right back' over her shoulder as she ascends the stairs.

Rick once again faces his mother. "So... long time no see."

"I want to be apart if her life, your life, if you'll let me." Huh, guess there was no beating around the bush.

"Mother, what happened hurt me and I'd rather never talk to you again, but Kate says I should give you a chance, so I can try. As far as Alexis is concerned, Kate and I will have to discuss that."

"And Kate is who? The woman upstairs? Who is she to make decisions?" There it is, the judgmental behavior he had been waiting for.

"She just so happens to be my girlfriend of 7 months and Alexis'... mother." He watches the shock form on her face. It's only there for about ten seconds before she's piling on the anger and confusion.

"Alexis' mother, your wife, died almost a year ago. Whoever that women is you have trying to replace her is nowhere near the woman Meredith was." Now he's fuming.

"You don't even know her! You have been here all of, what, two seconds? Yet, already, your passing judgments. Alexis is too young to even comprehend what death means! Kate is all she knows and they both love each other. Doesn't that count as a parent. Someone who loves you? Someone who is there to take care of you anytime you need them? Then again, how would you know?"

"Don't you dare go there with me. She wasn't just your partner or Alexis' mother, she was a friend, a mentee. If you think for a second that your the only one that lost someone that day, your mistaken."

"This is exactly why I didn't want you here. All of our lives would be so much happier if we had just left this all alone." He mumbles and turns away from her. The past 7 months have been glorious and he doesn't even know why he thought to try with this woman. He doesn't know when she changed. She used to be a good mother, loving and caring. That all changed when Meredith came along.

"Look who's awake." They both snap their heads to the staircase where Kate is standing with a groggy Alexis in her arms. Her blue eyes glisten at the sight of her Dad and she smiles at him, but her mood shifts as she sees the stranger standing in the living room. The unfamiliar person sets her on edge and she whimpers and quickly turns her head into Kate's neck.

"Oh, she looks so much like her mother!" She smiles and Kate is glad that the hatred level as dropped in the room. That is, until she hears Martha speak again and her heart falls apart. "Her real mother." She won't cry. She won't cry. If this is how she wants to play things, Kate won't even stoop to her level. She sets the little girl down on wobbly legs and allows her to stand. The girl still clings to her leg and she has to encourage her. She nudges her knee and Alexis peers up at her, big blue eyes pouring out trust.

"Momma?" She questions and Kate's eyes tear up as she gives a small nod. Alexis slowly lets her hands fall from Kate and does her best to walk over to the strange woman. Martha watches her walk over. Her heart breaks at the sight, seeing as last time she saw her little girl, she was unborn. When Alexis reaches her, she stares up at her strangely. Martha reaches out for her and Alexis looks back to see if this is okay. She receives a stiff nod from her father and her mother just stares. Reluctantly she allows the woman to pick her up. Whoever this person is, she doesn't like her. There is a smell that doesn't smell right, too much color on her face and her voice is too loud, she is speaking too fast.

Kate can see her baby's discomfort from a mile away, can sense her tears welling up before anyone can. She wanted to give this a try, but she can't watch her sweet little baby cry at the hand of this cruel woman. Just as she suspected, Alexis fusses and Martha tries to soothe her, but it's no help. The woman releases her and Alexis has no time for steady walking. She speed crawls over to Kate then flings herself at her mother, longs for the familiar smells and sounds and looks of the woman she loves.

Kate wastes no time in hoisting her up and settling her down. Rick breaks out of his anger induced trance long enough to help in comforting his baby girl. He kisses her head and and rubs her back soothingly. She calms and begins to drift off into sleep. He looks up at Kate and he can tell. She is about to fall apart. Her eyes are clenched and pink from holding back tears, her skin paling by the minute and he can't help but be angry for at hid mother for causing his family, the only thing in the world he cares about, pain. He turns to yell at her again, but all he sees is the closed door and heel clacks outside of the door getting further and further away. She came in like a whirlwind and tore apart his family in an hour and now?

She's gone.

Sorry if it sucked.

That's all

Love Always, XOXOX